1st since purchase. Don't know what/when PO put in. Wanted Rotella T6 as that is what I use in everything else. Shop I bought from(along with filter) talked me into Shaffers synthetic-do I put it in?
Jim
I use the Rotella in mine.
John M.
Great product! I have used a lot of it through the years
Not sure if this deal is still available but if you're a Costco member check it out.
Delo .33 /gal Costco (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=32116.msg286064#msg286064)
Schaeffer's is top of the heap stuff. My diesel mech likes it. Out performs Royal Purple which is excellent oil
Many Amsoil users on the forum,will be changing mine after 22K miles,can post the oil sample when I get it back.What are the specs
on the Sheaffers?
Schaeffers is some of the best stuff on earth. I use the 5w-50 S9000 in my motorcycles.
I use Amsoil- have heard of Schaeffers but that is all. If the specs are good- PAO4 and diesel specific, should be fine to use. Do your homework.................... ^.^d
Are we talking main engine oil?
Pierce
Pierce,yes as far as I can tell.
I have been happy with Rotela T-6- 5w-40. I have it tested every year. Complete change out this year.
If we didn't have the 2 cycle with it's special oil need, a synthetic oil would be a good choice. The price is around $30 a gallon for Mobile 1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5W-40 so we would spend roughly $165 for the 5.5 gallons. Not bad even buying an even 7 gallons for topping off. We use about a quart every 2000 so cost would not be a factor.
The big advantage is the synthetic won't coke so the turbo will last even with owner abuse high oil temp shutdowns.
On the other hand, Rotella/Delo does a great job and provides good service with only the need to cool the engine before shutting down after pulling medium to hard grades.
Pierce
Extremely rare for "regular" diesel oil such as Shell Rotella T or Delo 400 to give any issues in DP's. Heck, this is what most OTR trucks use and they go a lot more miles than we do. Heck, how many "oil related failures" are reported here in a year?
Exception is the DD two strokes that do require special oil such as Delo 100 (not synthetic) but getting harder to find.
I do use synthetic in my gasoline vehicles and have since the late 1970's, but don't see the difference in large diesels.
I have yet to put the Schaffers in my 8.3. Most likely would be ok. I use the t6 in everything else I have and just requested my son to pick me up 5gal of the Rotella. Will make me feel better and I guess that's what matters? I got to wondering about the friction modifiers in the Schaffers and know Honda doesn't want them used in my Valkyrie wet clutches. Is there anything in my 8.3 that wouldn't want that?
Jim
Check the Cummins specs against the spec/rating of your favorite synthetic oil. Here is an example of a Cummins approved synthetic oil: https://www.cumminsfiltration.com/sites/default/files/pdf_archive/pdfs/product_lit/americas_brochures/CF-2296.pdf
Pierce
Let's put this baby to bed, send me 5 gal of your favorite synthetic, and filters for a 3208. Also include two Blackstone test kits, and a fuel card with 600 gallons and I will do the testing for "free" ^.^d
Check above reply,when I get the sample back you can see the result,oil has 22k.Oil filters were changed at halfway mark.
The difference between one million miles and 1.5 million miles from using better oil is a moot point.
Several drivers of our sc430 we also own have posted small puffs of oil smoke after startup after switching to full synthetic after 80k-100k miles.
Smoke went away after returning to conventional oils which I understand is 50/50 already.
3-400k miles reported on these exact engines in which the Lexus shop manual calls for conventional oil.
The engine specs that call for a non synthetic oil may be for a reason.
Not to stir the porta potty, and i am sure the syn folks will chime in. I managed a fleet of 500 construction vehicles for 36 years, from autos to class 8 and every thing in between. Synthetics in all the rear ends, gear boxes, and manual transmissions (if approved). Over the years switched the light trucks( all GM) back and forth the older higher mile motors would develop small oil leaks from mainly front and rear seals. Change Back to regular Dino they dried up, talked to engineering at GM at length. We get 300,000+ out of GM motors. Point here is changing an older motor over may cause oil leaks, but the good news is change back leaks stop. JMHO oil and filters once a year is cheap insurance, old Shell Rotela T/ Delo good fer me.
I'm sure I will stir up a hornets nest. When I had my loader business and 3 Cat 977's along with my Mack, I bought oil from a local supplier here in Los Angels named Rosemead Oil. I bought a product called Coronation oil, read re-claimed oil. Bought it by the 55 gal. barrel. They claimed that after re- refining it and adding what ever new additives were being required by Cat. that it was as good as any name brand oil. I never had any oil related problems. When I went in the crane business and didn't need the large quantities of oil I switched to Delo as Costco had it cheaper than the Coronation oil in small quantities. The barrels always had the newest spec. stamped on them.
Up until about 10 years ago, ships and workboats would save all their used oil from oil changes in tanks onboard the vessel.
When they got into a US port, trucks would come down and pump off all the used oil and pay 25 cents per gallon, and provide drinking money for the crew. The truck drivers would take the used oil to a facility that would run it through centrifuges and filters and and separators then resell it. Due to changing regulations and the chance of carcinogens in some oil, the ships now have to pay someone to take away their used oil.
Re, oil and smoke.
All I know is since changing to syn amsoil my coach did not start smoking or leaking but runs good is cooler and I get around 20k miles on a changeand the bottom line is it does not cost me any more than using reg oil and changing it 3 times. My analysis came back perfect and a comment that keep the oil and monitor it in 6 months again.
I do not worry what anyone else uses or thinks as most of comments are negative on synthetic anyway. Our coach runs nicely so I keep doing it. The rear end is synthetic and tranny is Amsoil syn too and all is good.
JohnH
John,
Not too many negative comments by people in the business. Race cars are using synthetic oils throughout the world. This is why you see NASCAR race cars that have blown all the coolant out, still run the last few laps and even win. It's just a better lubricant. Old wive's tales die hard. I would love to go 20K between changes and the cost would be the same or slightly less. All of our personal cars are synthetic. Changed the U300 generator to synthetic and am hoping it cuts the high altitude smell down if we use it. Chain saws are using OEM synthetic now too.
Pierce
The seal leaking and seeping happened a little when some of these synthetics first came out.One misconception is the synthetics
are usually clumped into one catagory,that's like saying all non synthetics are the same.Problems usually happened when the
wrong oil weight was used,use the weight your vehicle calls for.Another comment is,"my mechanic dos'nt recommend it"if the
mechanic has never used it he knows nothing about it.Can't explain the oil smoke Catflash but was the oil the same exact weight
or different weight?Some of the older Lexus cars had engines that were just in a Lexus but some of the newer engines are the
same engines in a Toyota,maybe tuned a little but the same engine.
I have always run synthetic in all my cars and engines (after break in ) I have a Lexus LS 430 same engine as yours, never a leak.
I run synthetic for its cold weather properties of not thickening like dino oil on cold days. Cold start flow is the main reason I use the synthetic. Like Jon H has mentioned, I run a test on the T-6 in the Foretravel every year after 3 years regardless I change it. So far so good. Same oil in the Generator and the steering box, power steering hydraulic circuit. On the cars I change yearly.
Hummm kind of looks like engine oil is like tires. Right weight and spec no wrong answer, what ever makes you feel good 😊
It's like wearing Levis or Wrangler jeans all your life: you can switch, but never change to other brands! ^.^d
Yes it's a feel good thing.. I've been using the same engine lube since 70.. I'm stubborn like that when something works for me. I did let General motors talk me into putting syn mobile 1 in a late model Corvette and I feel like a chump for not putting my tried and true penzoil in it. Personally I think all engine mfgs blow a bunch of smoke about different lube products and I think it's because they have stock in the said product but then I am antique and a big skeptic about sales people. Right back to the feel good thing, crap if you feel good that's about all that matters in the end.
<Hijack alert!>
Got me a 2000 Standard with 75K on her.
Watta you swing your leg over, Jim?
<end hijack zone>
Exception is the DD two strokes that do require special oil such as Delo 100 (not synthetic) but getting harder to find.
Define "DD" please?
I have thoughts on the two stroke, but don't want Michelle mad at me!
DD= Detroit Diesel. So, in Foretravels, that would be the U300 with DD 6V92 (6 cylinders, V configuration and 92 CID/cylinder).
Good read on synthetic oils: Best Synthetic Oils Explained: Information and Recommendations (http://floorjacked.com/best-synthetic-oils-explained-information-and-recommendations/) As I said before, I would love to put synthetic oil in the 6V-92TA but it has a couple of areas that would need to be addressed. Our camshafts (one for each bank) not only operate the four exhaust valves but also must use an extra camshaft lobe and pushrod to operate each cylinder's unit injector (combination injector and high pressure injection pump). This requires high loads on the camshaft lobes and followers. Two cycle diesels always have positive pressure on the tops of the pistons so wrist pin lubrication is different from the four cycle brothers. Using multi-grade oils have shown accelerated wear on pistons and cylinders.
Using a multi-grade synthetic is probably, I say probably great but after looking at the photos, even the slightest chance of increased wear on some parts is not worth the chance. Yes, two cycle motorcycles, chainsaws use synthetic as OEM today but their two cycle principal does not have much in common with the 2 cycles that Detroit/MTU produces.
At $100 for 7 gallons and a filter, it should still last at least 500K with the Delo 100 #40 so why risk it until Mercedes/Detroit advises otherwise?
Pierce
all the specs I have seen on small engines say not to use synthetic oil for break-in. the molecular strands of the synthetic are longer and the rings will not seat (wear in) correctly. So, to me that means that the synthetic is more slippery and a better lube if used appropriately.
A number of years ago I was on a North Carolina Ferry and they had just on-loaded a bunch of 55 gal drums of some engine oil. I spoke to the engineer and he said it was to change the oil in the propulsion engines. I asked what they did with the old used oil and he said they mixed it in with the diesel fuel and burned it. I expect the EPA would not allow that now. Also, Cummins designed a system to change oil while on the road for road tractors powered by their engines. It injected new oil into the engine sump and mixed used oil into the fuel. I don't think they ever marketed it do to pollution laws. This was told to me by a cummins engineer.
Wantabe
Yes, working with Mercedes diesels since 1973, I encountered many owners who dumped their used oil into the fuel tank. No, it would not fly with the EPA today plus not so good for the engine internals.
The long chain molecules you describe were supposed to be the reason for rapid deterioration of the early petroleum multigrade oils . Today's synthetics are small, uniformly sized molecules unlike petroleum based lubricants with molecules that vary in size from small to large. This is why early synthetics were more prone to leak past seals. This has been mostly cured by additives and new seal construction.
Yes, many engine manufactures like a petro oil for the initial oil change and then going to synthetics. Synthetics DO provide better lubrication and may not allow the rings to seat properly.
Pierce
My understanding is "conventional" oils are 50% synthetic roughly. So the differences are muted.
I have shipped several hundred single cylinder dirt bike four stroke engines in the last dozen years after rebuilds.
All used to be shipped with full synthetic. A percentage had ring seating issues new.
Switched to 50-50 conventional oil. No more ring issues.
On long term teardowns the best synthetics had almost no internal engine wear on sliding surfaces.
Break in was the only time the higher friction helped. Five hours.
My understanding is that all engine makers use some kind of break in oil.
And prerun their motors under load to seat the rings.
I tell my customers to break in my builds under load. Up hill.
And if not used hard regularly to go back once in a while to conventional oil and to tow someone in soft ground.
Reseat the rings.
Bob,
My Suzuki PE250 has done Barstow to Vegas twice and lots of desert/trail riding. The head has never been off. Used nothing but Amzoil 2 cycle.
Pierce
Know idea on two strokes. Only on these particular four strokes.
I am getting around 800 hours top end life where new they were 300 or so depending on filtering and altitude and how hard they were revved.
Oil. Black gold. Dinosaur dust..
If you are asking about changing your oil, you are doing just fine. As long as you change it and keep it topped off... no matter what brand it is, you can keep your eyes on the horizon and your food on the petal.
The cost of oil correlates to peace of mind... but if you run out, it's gonna cost a lot. $$$
Although, I'm told delo 100 40wt or nothing.. for the 6v92 DD. See! I listen
Wantabe posted about the Cummins Centinel System. We actually have that on our coach (previous owner had it installed). The selling points from Cummins are the oil gets changed every 525,000 miles and filter gets changed every 75,000 miles. Filter was just changed so I'm good to go for awhile. We've put about 8,000 miles on her so far and I've added around five gallons of oil in that time. There is a large reservoir on the left side of the engine compartment, just inside the door, that I would guess holds six gallons or so of oil. There is a sticker on the engine that says to check the oil level every day. It has always shown right on the full line.
My great big oil pan was put up in the attic of the garage :-)
Not sure exactly how that works but that sounds like a whole latta oil for 8k miles.
Sounds like a good system, 5 gal every 8000 miles is same cost as oil change every 16000 miles.
And you don't have to change the oil or pay someone to do it!
Cummins QuickServe Online (https://quickserve.cummins.com/info/qsol/products/newparts/centinel.html)
John44,
It puts the "used" oil in the fuel to be burned as Wantabe posted.
Paully,
I just posted that I have the system Wantabe referred to. I have no idea how much he knows about oil...
Does this not speak volumes about wear after break-in. Are we debating if it's a superior lubricant, which I believe it is, or just worth the cost? Flushing my newly aquired ored with dino oil and then I will switch to synthetic to keep from coking the turbo bearings. If it develops small leaks can I really blame it on the synthetic because it's too pure? Or did it just expose then?